73 minute read
THIS 'N' THAT
GONE WITH THE WIND” “ — RATED ZERO PIPES
STORY: FRED HILTON
When was the last time you saw anybody smoking a pipe? Admittedly, there are fewer smokers of any type than ever before. People are fi nally realizing that smoking is a disgusting habit and it does nobody any good. It’s disrupted the health of millions of people (including me).
Unfortunately, smoking hasn’t gone away for good and there are still plenty of people who puff away on cigarettes or stinky cigars. But where have all the pipe smokers gone?
There are plenty of famous pipe smokers, beginning with Old King Cole that merry old soul who “called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl and he called for his fi ddlers three.” Even though good old Cole had a “bowl,” we won’t speculate what he was smoking.
The list of big name pipe smokers goes on and on. General Douglas McArthur and his corncob pipe must have terrifi ed the enemy in World War II. Others on the A-List of pipe smokers include Albert Einstein, Wyatt Earp, Sigmund Freud, Davy Crockett, Doctor Seuss, Hugh Hefner, Clark Gable, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Where else could you put a list of people together like that?
At one time, it seemed like everybody was smoking a pipe. That happened when the incredibly nasty effects of smoking were becoming clear and impossible to disregard. The medical folks indicated that pipe smoking wouldn’t kill you quite as fast as cigarettes so everyone started fi ring up their Meerschaums, Briars, and Corncobs.
Long before pipe smoking had this brief moment of popularity, my high school buddy Roger was happily puffi ng away as a teenager. Yes, it was a bit strange to see a 17-year-old smoking a Sherlock Holmes pipe. This was a time when the typical teenaged smoker rolled up a pack of Camels in his T-shirt sleeve.
Roger hung out a lot in the local pool room. In those days, only three types of people inhabited poolrooms: derelicts, winos, and teenaged boys. (Sometimes the categories overlapped.) It was a little surreal to watch a squeaky clean, crew-cut teenager puffi ng on a pipe while playing eight-ball with a stinky derelict who had tobacco spittle dribbling down the three-day stubble on his chin. As you might suspect, Roger got beaten up a lot.
Years after my poolroom days ended, I worked for a man who was known to all his minions as the Boss—and yes, he merited the capital “B.” The Boss had no use for pipe smokers. “They’re not worth a #$%&@” he thundered. “All they do is fi ddle with their @#%& pipes. They put tobacco in the pipe. Then they tamp it down. Then they add more tobacco and tamp it down some more. Then they light it. Then it goes out and they repeated the tamping, re-tamping and lighting. They never get any #$%&@ work done because of their &$#%@ pipes.” The exact words he used were really a bit stronger than “#$%&@,” “@#%&” and “&$#%@.” I’m just too embarrassed to repeat them.
At that time, I worked with a guy named Russ. The Boss must have been on vacation when Russ was hired because Russ was a heavy-duty pipe smoker. He did all the pipe fi ddling, tobacco loading, tamping, re-tamping, lighting, and re-lighting that drove the Boss crazy. Despite the pipe, the Boss and Russ somehow got along famously.
Russ developed an ingenious pipe-based method for judging movies. Whenever he went to a movie, he would keep track of the number of times he felt the urge to get up, go out into the lobby and smoke his pipe. The lower the number, the better. If he wanted to smoke his pipe fi ve times during the movie, then the movie pretty much was lousy. A rating of one pipe meant an excellent movie and, of course, the highest rating of all was zero pipes. Russ’ method was much more fun than Siskel and Ebert’s thumbs-up/thumbs down system.
I haven’t seen Russ in years but, in case he runs across this article, I hope it merits at least a two pipes rating.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Fred Hilton spent 36 years as the chief public relations offi cer/spokesman for James Madison University in Virginia and 10 years prior as a reporter and editor for The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. He is now happily retired in The Villages with his interior designer wife, Leta, their Cadillac Escalade golf cart, and their dog, Paris. (Yes, that makes her Paris Hilton).
Imagine a personal oasis where you can sit for hours enjoying quiet relaxation in the sparkling waters of your own pool. A shimmering pool will give you the perfect place to enjoy fun, exercise, and even entertain. When you choose Wiseman Pools, not only will you be getting the best, you can make it exactly the way you want it.
When you’re building a home, you look for the best General Contractor, and when you want a pool to enhance your home, you want the best. Wiseman Pools is a family business that has been in the area for more than 10 years. They have worked with local construction companies for more than 17 years, meaning they not only know this area, they know the people and those make dream homes a reality.
Shawn Wiseman gained most of his knowledge working with one of the largest pool builders in Central Florida and he also has an Associate in Science degree in Aquatic Engineer from Keiser College. Horner, the well-known pool industry supplier, specifi cally developed this engineering program for the pool industry.
A Wiseman pool is built with you on the team, every step of the way. “Working with Wiseman Pools was a great experience. From initial site consultation to the graphically detailed site/pool plan, you know what you’re going to get,” says Jason Gray.
You can customize the shape, choose different fi nishes, with various colors & qualities. Wiseman Pools is constantly studying the market for newer, better technolo-
gies as well as trends in design and décor. They only offer the best in equipment to make your pool a place for beauty and enjoyment.
Jason and his wife Beverly don’t hesitate to tell friends and neighbors about their great experience. “Their many options, superior results, and great prices set them apart, which is why we chose Wiseman Pools. Shawn was available throughout the entire process and had great suggestions when we couldn’t make a decision on tile color,” Jason says. “We enjoyed the process, and now the product, so much that we’ve recommended them to dozens of friends and colleagues who were in the market.”
Neil and Eunice Cabrera of Groveland found the task of building a pool better than expected. “They came alongside us and helped design it, like a collaboration,” the Cabreras say. “They fi nished in the time that they promised. They were prompt and timely, and it looks even nicer than what we initially imagined. We’re happy!”
If you think dealing with the equipment and lighting might be challenging, consider this: Wiseman Pools has a complete automation package, which means you can operate everything from your computer, tablet or phone with ease. Turn on lights, adjust water temperature, turn on the jets in the spa—whatever is needed can be done with ease.
Since Wiseman Pools is a fully licensed pool and building contractor, there are no worries about dealing with additional contractors. This also means Wiseman Pools can add the extras you might like to have like an outdoor shower or an outdoor kitchen for those get-togethers with family and friends.
The beauty of any project you undertake with Shawn Wiseman and his company is that every project is unique and as individual as you are. There’s nothing high pressure about the process. Everything is done according to your specifi cations with you observing and helping with every step.
“Wiseman Pools were careful to ensure that they understood what we really wanted,” says Wendell Couch. “They took our key design criteria, improved on them, and gave us a pool that exceeded our expectations. The quality of their work is excellent. We’ve had no issues since the pool was turned over to us.”
It all begins with a conversation with a consultant, who ensures there’s no pressure or negativity involved. They’ll show you a portfolio of their work or you can view it online at www. wisemanpools.com. When the consultant arrives to study the area for construction, they’ll walk around outside your home to view and measure the house area. This is important because a pool
THE CABRERA POOL THE COUCH POOL
“With a Wiseman pool, you can p expect quality ex and grandeur, an not your typical no cookie-cutter pool. cook Your pool will be You custom built to cu fulfi ll your wishes. fulfi We listen closely We and interpret what and you want into yo what will fi t within wha your budget.” yo
— —SHAWN WISEMAN
complements a home and is not meant to overwhelm the home’s design. He’ll need a property survey to be aware of easements and other relevant issues.
Once this is done, your consultant does a preliminary sketch, and the real fun begins. You select pool shape, fi nishes, water features— think natural rock or sheer descent waterfall or even a custom cascade. You’ll make decisions about pool heating, lights, and any other custom elements to make the pool uniquely yours. Be assured intense detail will be involved in construction—plumbing will be sealed and watertight, electrical is working properly and safe and watching the concrete shell go into place is often a highlight.
Remember, throughout this process, your consultant is working with you to be sure everything is like you wish it to be. At this point, you’ve chosen a concrete deck with a knockdown texture, a paver deck or maybe even travertine decking. Don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed just reading this. Your consultant will explain in everyday terms every step of the process and meet with you to make these decisions easier so building a pool is not only a project, it’s an enjoyable process. Nesha Salser of Ocala says, “We built four pools in the past, and this one was by far the best. We had no problems like we have in the past. The people at Wiseman Pools are completely professional and on top of things, which is hard to fi nd in a pool company.” Next, you’ll decide whether you’ll want a screened enclosure or a fence around your pool. It’s a separate job from building the pool that requires an additional permit. Wiseman Pools has an in-house screen contractor and can also arrange for fencing. Whether you’re selecting the type of lights or décor for water spouts, you’ll be getting closer every day to the time you can fully delight in the sparkling water of your pool. You can see photos before every step of the process so you know what to expect. Wiseman Pools wants you aware of the time it takes and what’s involved in getting things done. Though every pool is unique, many of the construction phases are basically the same, so they will be able to easily keep you informed.
Once the big day has arrived and your pool is fi nished, their work doesn’t stop. They know how important it is to teach you what is necessary to keep your pool beautiful and running the way it should.
This begins with the fi eld superintendent going over all of the equipment and its care with you. Learning how to take clean a pool and maintain it properly is crucial. There are the small things like remembering to brush it every day for the fi rst month to remove the top “cream” layer of the interior fi nish. This will reveal more of the colored
THE SALSER POOL crystals and brighten your pool giving it a beautiful even fi nish.
Now, you’re all set, ready to enjoy a dip in your pool, a pool party, or a family gathering to celebrate the grand opening! The best part of it is you’ll know you have worked diligently with a trusted, reputable contractor to enjoy all the pleasure of your magnifi cent pool for a lifetime. THE BATTAGLIA POOL
FOR MORE INFORMATION WISEMAN POOLS
1517 W. Main St. Leesburg, FL 34748 352.431.3766 www.wisemanpools.com
TRAVELS THE WORLD TO EXPERIENCE DEEP DIVING Dr. Kim Ireland
Beneath white sands and turquoise waters, Dr. Kimberly Ireland relishes the tranquility of scuba diving. She says each deep diving adventure gives her the chance to see colorful underwater gardens, coral reefs, and vibrant marine life inhabiting oceans.
A board-certifi ed ophthalmologist specializing in advanced cataract surgery, Kim says scuba diving has been her passion for 30 years.
“I use it as an excuse to travel around the world,” says Kim, 46, of St. Luke’s at The Villages. “It’s fun to step out of the operating room into a different environment. Being underwater, you feel suspended, calm, and you just hear your own breathing and your own bubbles. You can see things like giant Manta rays in Indonesia. It’s always new and exciting.”
One unforgettable experience was cage diving at False Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa, and seeing sharks.
“The great whites come very, very close, but it’s really amazing to see,” she says.
Other enjoyable dives have been in the Maldives off India’s coast, the Red Sea in Egypt, the Mediterranean, South Pacifi c waters of both Tahiti and Fiji, Galapagos, the Caribbean, Australia, Ecuador, the coast of California, and of course, right here in Florida—diving in Key West and the nearby springs.
“Diving in Crystal River with the manatees is really fun,” she says. She also believes diving in the springs close to home— Alexander Springs in Altoona or Rainbow River in Dunnellon—is a great way for beginning divers to get started.
Her love for diving has been passed down to her three children.
Growing up in the mountains of New Hampshire, Kim was 16 when she was introduced to scuba diving by her uncle living in Coral Springs.
After completing premed college coursework in Maine, Kim became involved in marine biology research for nine months as an exchange student at James Cook University in Australia.
“I very much enjoyed living there, diving, doing research, and I really immersed myself in marine biology,” she says. “I did a lot of technical and research diving of counting fi sh.”
While there, she pondered making a career change.
“My passion for medicine has been since childhood,” she says. “It was nice to take a step away from academics and do something completely different on the other side of the world to really make sure that is what I wanted to do.”
She chose to keep diving as a hobby. “I dive as often as I can,” she says.
In Galapagos and Egypt, she went diving fi ve times a day. She also looks for night dives.
Kim’s planning a trip to Antarctica with her family in December, and she’s eager to dive in Cuba.
“Over 30 years traveling around the world and diving as much as possible, I’ve noticed a big change in the oceans,” she says. “So now I’m traveling further to isolated places to try and fi nd pockets that haven’t been touched.”
FROM HAMMERTOE TO HARD ROCK FRO F M H AM AMM ERTOE TO T HARD ROCK
Dr. Erik Zimmerman
Would it surprise you to learn your podiatrist can not only help you with bunions or hang nails, but he also sings and plays a mean guitar in a hard rock band called INFIDEL?
Dr. Erik Zimmerman, a Leesburg podiatrist, gets his musical inspiration from “very loud and aggressive
rock bands” such as AC/DC, Metallica, Godsmack, and the Rollins Band.
“When I was probably 6 or 7 years old I heard ‘TNT’ by AC/DC on my clock radio. My foot started tapping, dio. and I could not get the song and out of my head,” he says. “I out o loved it!” love
Erik initially wanted to be Er a guitar player “like Angus a gui Young,” but found he was Youn more drawn to singing. more “Starting in high school and “Star then into the Marines, music, then mostly punk rock, became most very important for me,” he very says. “I would listen to music says. and calm down no matter and how crazy things were.” how
After the busy years of Af college and podiatry school, colle Erik still wanted his own Erik rock band. rock
“I wasn’t able to line up a “I reliable band to sing and play reliab with until I was 40,” he says. with “I just fi gured out it was some-“I jus thing I wanted to do, and I thing kept plugging along and prackept ticing my guitar and singing ticing until I was able to fi nd three until other guys to hit a stage with.” other
The band’s name, Th INFIDEL, came from the INFI doctor’s stint in the Marines doct where he says, “I felt inwher vested in the fi ght we faced veste against those that deem us again all to be infi dels. It is also an all to aggressive name and I like aggre that, too.” that,
The band usually practices Th once a week, and he says it once may take a month or two to may get everything sounding just get e right. “Most everyone in our right band has a job and a family, band and it is hard to get schedand i ules squared away,” he says. ules
The band has gigs throughTh out Central Florida, from Gainesville down to Orlando. “Some of the places are bars, music venues, outdoor stages, and in one case, an outlaw music festival set up
in the mud pits of the Ocala Forest…that one was quite odd! Being that we play original music, it makes it diffi cult to get into many local venues.”
Erik says his patients are usually surprised by his hobby, and they have a tendency to assume his music will be Elvis, Chuck Berry, or the Beatles. “I’ve had some patients say they will come out to see me play, but it never happens. We usually play late and out of town.”
A humorous experience Erik recalled was “a drunk woman in Daytona had us sign our autographs on her jeans because she thought we were a famous rock band she had never heard of.” heard of.”
What excites the poWhat excites the podiatrist the most about diatrist the most about singing with the band? singing with the band? “I love that I get to act “I love that I get to act crazy, jump around, be crazy, jump around, be loud, play guitar, and loud, play guitar, and have an overall blast!” have an overall blast!”
SKY HIGH
Dr. Carlos Medina
Dr. Carlos Medina is not your typical dentist with a hobby of golf or stamp collecting. Instead, he has always had the desire to fl y.
“Flying has been one of mankind’s great aspirations and achievements,” he says. “I wanted to be part of it.”
Not only can he fl y a plane, he can also safely and expertly jump out of it, if necessary. “When I learned aerobatic fl ying, I decided to learn skydiving in case I ever had to bail out of a disabled plane,” he says. “After that, it became g one of the most exciting things I have done.”
Location was most important when he purchased his dental practice in 2002. His offi ce is near the Deland drop zone, and he skydives on his lunch hour.
Dr. Medina was only 28 years old when he fl ew solo for the fi rst time, and fulfi lled his lifelong dream to certify as a private pilot in July 2013.
He fl ies mostly within the state to Key West, Panama City, Jacksonville, St Augustine, and Tallahassee, and took one long-distance trip to Atlanta.
It’s the commitment and attention to detail that attracted the dentist to these skills. “Being a skydiver and pilot requires discipline,” he says. “Most accidents are caused by a lapse in judgment or distractions.”
His patients aren’t surprised to hear of Dr. Medina’s “extreme” hobby, as Deland has a very large population of pilots and skydivers. However, most pilots probably haven’t experienced the thrill of “buzzing” (with permission, of course) the fi eld at the Space Shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center NASA.
“I simulated the space shuttle landing approach. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done during my fl ights,” he says.
The dentist has other hobbies he enjoys, including building LEGO sets, rollercoasters, auto racing, and snowboarding. He is an “expert-level” snowboarder and has even gone heli-snowboarding on Cardiac Ridge.
Dr. Medina also enjoys the thrilling rides at Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld.
ed the dentist to these skills. “Being a skydiver and p has even gone heli-snowboarding on Cardiac Ridge.
Dr. Medina also enjoys the thrilling rides at Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld.
What’s up, docs?
WATCH THE BEAUTY FLUTTER BY Dr. Scott Wehrly
Dr. Scott Wehrly is a boardcertifi ed ophthalmologist at Lake Eye Associates, but it is also fi tting to call him a lepidopterist—an avid butterfl y collector—who is currently building an addition onto his Tavares home for his vast, growing collection.
“A bug room,” he says.
It sounds like he really could use the extra space since he presently has about 50,000 butterfl y specimens from all over the world mounted, labeled, and fi lling 400 drawers and 13 cabinets.
Some of his collected butterfl ies date back to when he was 10, yet he remembers being involved in his hobby as a 3-year-old.
“I had a screened-in box my dad built for me for the insects I caught with a small net,” he recalls.
Scott loved every chance to be outdoors while growing up in Ohio, where he was fascinated with insects, nature, and watched in awe as butterfl ies with brightly patterned wings fl uttered about.
Sadly, he says, some of the beautiful butterfl ies he saw as a young boy are rarely visible today.
“There has been so much environmental impact of building houses and human growth, there’s less wetlands and wooded areas now, so all those I used to see as a kid, are really hard to fi nd,” Scott says.
Many of the butterfl ies in his collection were purchased from other avid collectors, yet he concentrates on acquiring specimens common in this hemisphere and throughout North, Central, and South America. He devotes about eight hours a week to his hobby.
“It’s relaxing and it’s a way to get my mind off of the worries and concerns of the day,” Scott says. “It’s a chance to enjoy nature.”
He also fi nds his medical skills come in handy for mounting the butterfl ies to display their colorful wings.
“The dexterity that’s required to work with the specimen’s transitions into ophthalmology very nicely, because it, too, is a very delicate, fragile profession where you have to be very good with your hands and with your eyes. The two complement each other,” he says.
In college, he pondered going into entomology, the study of insects, and earned a degree in zoology, yet he became fascinated with medicine and the idea of helping improve patients’ vision. He fi nished his medical training in 1994 at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
Many of his patients are intrigued by his hobby. Some will bring him butterfl y-related items and pictures, or seek his input on butterfl y gardens. No one else in his family collects butterfl ies, but Scott says they do recognize the beauty of the individual specimens.
“Butterfl ies really are gorgeous in a purely aesthetics standpoint.”
His collection allows admirers to view a wide range of butterfl ies that are rarely seen, and his overall goal is to continue to grow his collection.
There are about 20,000 butterfl y species in the world, and one of the rarest is the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, which is only found in the rainforest of New Guinea.
“It is the largest butterfl y in the world, and it’s magnifi cently beautiful, and everybody wants one. But it’s the one specimen that is internationally protected.”
He is hopeful that within the next 10 years, New Guinea will raise the butterfl y, sell the specimens, and place funds back into protecting the environment so the species is never lost.
Scott predicts he will sell his own collection in sections to other collectors in his retirement years, and bestow what is left to UF.
“The University of Florida has an enormous, world-renowned collection, probably one of the best in the world,” Scott says, while also praising Gainesville, home to the Butterfl y Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History, fi lled with hundreds of free-fl ying butterfl ies for the public to enjoy.
“People are more inclined to protect their environment once they see it,” he says. “It’s a wonderful place.”
BonnieClyne
Bouncing back from heartaches, deadly health woes
Registered nurse and certifi ed medical transcriptionist, Bonnie Clyne, 63, of Leesburg went through a series of unexpected heartaches. She sincerely believes that level of stress led to life-threatening health woes in her 30s and 40s.
Bonnie was 29 when she went through the wrath and destruction of 155 mph winds from Hurricane Andrew in late August 1972. The storm left her family’s Miami home in shambles. Her husband Jerry was killed in a motorcycle crash four months later.
When she and her daughters came home from the funeral and burial in Jerry’s native Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, they found burglars had robbed and vandalized the family’s remaining belongings.
The severe stress gradually began taking a toll on Bonnie’s health.
She became seriously ill with pancreatitis due to blockage from gallstones. After having her gallbladder removed, Bonnie noticed mysterious, painful breast symptoms.
Through her medical background, she brushed
it off as being fi brocystic breast disease, a noncancerous condition of painful lumps in the breast. Instead, it was a large, aggressive breast cancer.
“It was a surprise diagnosis because normally you don’t have pain with cancer, but I did have pain,” she says. “I was very surprised to fi nd out there was a tumor.”
She had a mastectomy along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This was followed by treatment for a life-threatening battle with septicemia, an infection in the blood, which came from an infected central IV line used for the chemotherapy drugs. Though she knew this was a common occurrence for cancer patient, she knew it wasn’t good.
Septicemia occurs when a bacterial infection elsewhere in the body enters the bloodstream.
“When you hear about deaths from cancer, a lot of times it’s due to the actual had enough antibiotics to get rid of the infection.
After winning her battle with breast cancer for two years, she moved to Leesburg in 2004. Soon after moving here, she had gastric bypass surgery.
“I was having trouble keeping my blood pressure and blood sugar down to a normal range,” Bonnie says. “After the surgery, they both normalized, so it really does help.”
She lost 120 pounds through the procedure. “I’m not small yet. It’s constant work.”
“I’m in better physical condition as far as blood work and things than when I was in my 40s. And that’s really weird because people think it’s often the other way around,” she says. She notes people have a tendency to develop more health problems in older years.
Through the trials in her life, Bonnie found faith and maintaining a positive attitude helped her cope,
—BONNIE CLYNE
treatment because it lowers your white blood cell count,” she says. “In my case, it got in the blood…I thought I was going to die, I really did.”
She remained in the hospital for two weeks to remove the line; however, doctors couldn’t do any surgical procedure until she’d and it’s the main focus of a book she wrote, “Buzzards to Butterfl ies: My Memoir And Testimony.” “The most important thing I learned is a respect for people rather than things. You can replace things but you can’t replace people,” she said after surviving the hurricane.
Her illnesses opened her eyes to have empathy for what other people are going through in their lives.
“I gained a renewed appreciation for the people who were there for me,” she says of her daughters, who stood beside her and declared, ‘OK. Let’s do this!’”
Bonnie stresses the need to never give up in tough times.
“Things can be looking really bad, but things can get better. It doesn’t have to stay that way,” Bonnie says. “You have to trust that God is working behind the scenes and he can fi gure it out.”
Michele Klaben
Heart attack Heart attack survivor survivor
Michele Klaben thought of herself as a healthy person. She didn’t have the traditional risk factors of heart disease: high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, obesity, or overly high cholesterol, so she never thought a heart attack could happen to her.
But, it did. One November 2005 morning while getting dressed, she felt a brief uncomfortable feeling in her chest that would come and go, and then a tingling sensation raced down her left arm.
“I told my husband that we should probably go to the hospital,” she says. “Not thinking at all it was my heart, we made a big mistake and did not call an ambulance. The last thing I remember is sitting in the car waiting for Don.”
Luckily, her husband noticed something was terribly wrong. Don instructed the gate guard at their Royal Highlands community to call 911, and he put Michele’s passenger seat down and began CPR. After the paramedics arrived, they used a defi brillator twice.
“Fortunately, we were still in our community when I ‘died’,’” she says.
“If we were out on the main roads, I would never have survived.”
For a woman to experience the kind of heart attack and cardiac arrest like Michele, Don was told there was only a fi ve-percent chance for survival.
Doctors told Don his wife would have 50-percent chance of survival if they tried to use a stent. Her chance for survival was much better with open heart surgery.
“I was not aware of any of this as I was in critical condition in ICU,” says Michele, who was 55 when she had a single-bypass surgery at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. “I feel blessed to be alive, and I thank God, the surgeons, and nurses for being alive right now.”
Looking back, Michele remembers a time when she was feeling short of breath, and her female general practitioner put her on a heart monitor.
“It did not show anything abnormal, but my cholesterol was high (nearly 200) and she ignored that,” Michele recalls. “After my heart attack and surgery, I kept looking for doctors who would listen to me and whom I could trust and feel comfortable with.”
Her advice to fellow snowbirds and newcomers in the area seeking doctors for their care, is to look around, ask neighbors for suggestions.
“Be assertive with your doctors regarding treatments. Speak out and do not hold back on any symptoms you may have. Ask questions always,” she says.
“Women need to pay attention to what their body is telling them. If they do not feel ‘right,’ see a doctor right away to rule out any problems. We women usually ignore any slight symptoms because we are too busy taking care of others,” Michele says. “We need to remember to focus on ourselves, because if we don’t, we won’t be able to continue caring for others.”
Michele and her husband have adopted a healthier lifestyle since her open heart surgery.
“We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, less carbs and fats. We try to walk about two miles every day, and we also try to give back by being members of Mended Hearts, a national support group of heart patients and caregivers,” she says. “We are accredited ‘visitors’ who can visit patients in the heart unit at
LRMC before and/or after surgery to share our story and hopefully give them the hope for their future.”
Michele knows she would not be alive today without the quick action of her “hero” husband performing CPR on her before paramedics arrived.
Don’s former job as a New York state employee required him to know CPR, and he also taught fi rst aid and CRP as a Boy Scout leader.
“Luckily, he has never needed to use it on anyone but me,” Michelle says.
—MICHELE KLABEN
Princess Joscelyn likes to play with her big dollhouse, enjoys singing and listening to music, and fakes falling asleep so she can sneak out of her new bed. These sound like normal activities for an energetic 5-yearold, but Joss, as she’s affectionately called, is just a bit off the normal scale since she had the left hemisphere of her brain removed.
When Joss was born, everything appeared normal. She rolled over early and was playful and happy. After an uneventful pregnancy, Michael and Jennifer Dempsey thought their little girl was perfect. But when Joss was two months old, she had a seizure. Her EEG was normal, and she was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal condition.
Problems continued until Joss was six months old when she had another massive episode. This time the EEG was termed “extremely abnormal.” The follow-up MRI indicated Joss has a rare, debilitating congenital disorder called hemimegalencephaly, which meant the left hemisphere of her brain was larger than the right. By the time she was a year old, there were signifi cant developmental delays. While all this was happening, her big brother, Nicholas, was killed in an accident at Lake Joanna.
Various medications were prescribed, but the seizures continued and worsened, putting the little girl at risk for sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. The Dempseys couldn’t bear the thought of losing another child. Doctors told them Joss’s best chance at “normal” was the surgical removal and/or disconnection of the entire left hemisphere of her brain.
However, the fi rst surgery wasn’t successful, and Joss ended up having three surgeries within fi ve weeks to remove “bad brain” that kept the seizures returning. It took a fi fth surgery to remove a fi nal piece of incredibly small tissue and at long last, the Dempseys began measuring time in seizure-free months.
“She has been seizure free since Feb. 27, 2012, and now has a shunt,” Jennifer says. “She is also medication free. She is in preschool at public school in the special needs class where she’s doing well and is completely unassisted.”
Though she had some problems with infection, Joss is thriving and developing nicely.
“We didn’t know if she was going to be nonverbal or not, but she started talking about a year ago, and she’s up to short sentences, maybe three-word phrases,” Jennifer says. “She only sees the doctor once a year unless there’s a concern. They do neuropsyche testing to evaluate how she’s learning and if the shunt is doing well.”
Joss is once again an energetic, happy child who keeps her parents busy. However, the future is still unknown. Every child who has this surgery develops differently. Some are adults now and drive and function independently, but others will always need assistance.
“One of the hardest things for us is you can’t compare the children who go through this,” Jennifer says. “They won’t do the surgery unless they’re sure the other side of the brain is healthy and can compensate, and they can’t tell you to the degree it will be able to compensate.”
Joss loves music and Mickey Mouse and enjoys playing with her dolls. She just graduated to a big-girl bed, recently feigned sleep while providing fake snoring to see if Daddy would leave so she could get up.
“She has been a revelation and a teaching moment. I thought at my age I didn’t have that much to learn, but we’ve learned so much about neurology,” Mike adds. “You can’t plan ahead. You release your expectations. There’s no know-
ing what she’ll be able to do. She surprises me every day.”
“We’re so fortunate Florida Hospital Waterman had the level-4 Epilepsy Center, which had only been open about a year,” Jennifer says. “We were able to do it very close to home, and the doctors were great.”
The Dempseys don’t put limitations on Joss, but are thrilled with any accomplishment. She does physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy and recently added music therapy.
“She still does therapy one day a week at the hospital, which I love,” Jennifer says. “They know where she has come from and how much better she is doing.”
The Dempsey family also includes Jennifer’s sons, Mark, 25, Clayton, 14, and Jackson 13, along with Mike’s daughter Javelyn, 14. They are a close-knit group and Joss’s personal fan club.
In preschool for the end-of-the-year awards they voted Joss “Most Likely to be President.”
“We had a good laugh about that. I think she’d get a lot of votes this year,” Jennifer says.
—MICHAEL DEMPSEY
PROBLEMS
WITH YOUR PROSTATE?
Does this sound familiar? As you grow older, do you realize you are getting up more often at night to urinate? Have you come to accept this as in inevitable part of aging as your father did or his father before him?
There is no need for men to suffer from frequent urination because they are getting older. Dr. James Young, a down-to-earth urologist in Lake County since 1982, has successfully treated thousands of patients who suffer with enlarged prostate (BPH). What’s even better is that treatment options are more numerous and far less invasive than those offered to our fathers and grandfathers.
Dr. Young is internationally recognized as one of the leading experts in Prostiva RF Therapy, an in-offi ce procedure for the treatment of enlarged prostate in men. Prostiva utilizes low-level radiofrequency energy to destroy the obstructing component of the enlarged prostate The procedure allows men to stop taking medications for their prostate issues without undergoing major surgery.
That distinction has placed him on Castle Connelly’s prestigious Top Docs list for fi ve consecutive years.
Dr. Young has performed more Prostiva procedures than any urologist in the United States and possibly the world. In 2014, he performed nearly 400 Prostiva procedures, accounting for approximately 5 percent of the 8,000 performed worldwide.
The procedure is performed in Dr. Young’s offi ce under local anesthesia. “I am very happy with the results I have achieved for many patients using Prostiva RF Therapy,” says Dr. Young, who has successfully treated nearly 3,000 patients with this procedure.
Not only is Dr. Young happy; patients are extremely satisfi ed, as well. That’s evidenced by the glowing reviews he receives on healthgrades. com and vitals.com from patients who underwent the procedure.
“His revolutionary procedure was easy with very little discomfort,” wrote one patient.
“My urinary problems have disappeared, I sleep better, and have signifi cantly more energy,” another patient wrote.
Dr. Young encourages all patients to visit vitals.com and healthgrades. com to fi nd for themselves what patients are saying. Dr. Young’s Healthgrades online profi le was visited 2,311 times between January 2015 and January 2016, ranking him 18th among 978 urologists in Florida.
Always striving to be on the cutting-edge of therapies to treat enlarged prostates, Dr. Young will soon be offering a new procedure called Rezum. This safe and effi cient treatment uses thermal energy in water vapor to remove obstructive tissue surrounding the prostate. The procedure is performed in-offi ce under local anesthesia or oral sedation. Dr. Young will be the fi rst urologist in Central Florida to offer this cutting-edge treatment.
“It takes less time to perform and destroys even more of the obstructive tissue. It also has rapid symptom relief and minimal discomfort. I’m usually not a doctor who jumps on new technology, but I’ve talked to many urologists who have studied this procedure in clinical trials and are now using this therapy at their practices today. They are extremely pleased with the results they’re receiving.”
JAMES W. YOUNG III, M.D.
Board-certifi ed Urologist
Practicing in Lake County since 1982 with extensive experience in evaluation and management of prostate problems.
Comprehensive care
If you are a fi rst-time patient of Dr. Young, you will receive a detailed examination.
“When I see a new patient I perform physical examinations and properly evaluate the patient’s symptoms, thus diagnosing the underlying problem(s),” Dr. Young said. “Next, I describe to the patient what’s normal and then explain what is abnormal with him. Lastly, I teach him his treatment options. If I’ve done a good job of teaching, he will select the correct option for himself.”
While prescribing medications for enlarged prostate can be done by primary care physicians, only urologists are trained to thoroughly evaluate the bladder and prostate (including ruling out prostate cancer), as well as providing extremely effective minimally invasive, offi cebased therapies as alternatives to lifelong medical therapy.
With an offi ce staff with nearly as much experience as the doctor (many have worked with Dr. Young for 25 years), you don’t spend a great deal of time waiting to see him. “We pride ourselves in being timely in seeing our patients. We respect our patients’ time as much as we do our own. Patients appreciate this; many of our patients tell me I have the best offi ce staff on the planet. I consider that a huge compliment.”
So if you are waking up at night and have diffi culty falling back asleep because you’re worried what may be wrong, then it is time to check in with Dr. Young and have him examine you.
James W. Young III, M.D.
Nationally recognized board-certifi ed urologist Prostate Cancer Screening
Annually over 50 years of age (At age 40 if family history or African American)
AVAILABLE FOR SECOND OPINIONS FOR BPH AND PROSTATE CANCER
The Area’s Premier Board Certified Plastic Surgery Group
MEMBER OF
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
MEMBER OF
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Our practice is dedicated to providing exceptional plastic surgery and achieving a beautiful, natural-looking result for our patients. We s strive to combine surgical expertise, artistic vision, and outstanding service to st make your visit with us a positive, rewarding experience. We offer a complete m range of modern procedures that include non-surgical and surgical techniques. ra
Each of our surgeons is board certified in plastic surgery. They are all fully trained and experienced in cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Our surgeons are always on site and are directors of our medi-spa and ancillary procedures.
In addition, we have registered nurses assisting the physicians with your care.
This cadre of dedicated professionals ensures that all your questions are answered and that your experience is personal and complete to your satisfaction.
E tr s a
In T a So, if you are seeking a more youthful face, enlarging your S breasts, a flattering figure, the solution to a problem area, or b guidance to help beautify and rejuvenate your skin, our practice g can help you achieve your goals. c
GET TO KNOW OUR
James Rogers DMD, MD
Dr. Rogers is a native Floridian. He is a graduate of Emory University, and completed his dental and medical degrees from the University of Florida. He trained in surgery at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, and completed his plastic surgical training at Tulane University and Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. Dr. Rogers is a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and has performed Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedures in Ocala for over twenty years. He is one of the most experienced surgeons in Central Florida. Navinderdeep Nijher MD
Dr. Nijher is a native New Yorker who now resides in Ocala with his wife who is a pediatrician. He completed his plastic surgery training at the prestigious New York Hospital of Cornell and Columbia Universities and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He provides the latest cutting edge techniques in minimal scar surgery of the breast, face, forehead, and eyes. He also specializes in all facets of body sculpting including but not limited to liposuction, abdominoplasty, and post bariatric body contouring. Dr.Nijher lectures extensively trying to educate patients on plastic surgery and has subsequently become one of the most sought out plastic surgeons in Central Florida. Leonik Ahumada MD, FACS
Dr. Ahumada specializes in cosmetic and plastic surgery. He is trained in the latest plastic surgical techniques of the face, eyelids, breast and body with emphasis on minimal scarring. This includes non surgical (fillers, botox, fat grafts, sclerotherapy) and surgical procedures (facelift, eyelids, nose, breast, tummy tucks, liposuction). He graduated from Harvard with a degree in biochemistry and completed medical school at the University of Miami. He was awarded many honors while completing Plastic Surgery training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has authored and co-authored papers in plastic surgery. He prefers a personal approach to his patients and will listen to your concerns when suggesting procedures. Dr Ahumada’s family is from South America; in addition to English he is also fluent in Spanish and has an international clientele. He is married and father to three girls; when not seeing patients he enjoys time with his family.
procedure
HE FEELS YOUR PAIN
Experiencing lower back pain, a pinched nerve, sciatica, neck pain, or a variety of symptoms related to damaged or degenerative discs?
Dr. Jeffrey Glover of Glover Chiropractic Clinic personally understands how debilitating it can be because he has experienced back issues, and as a result, he found relief from the pain-free, non-surgical, DTS Spinal Decompression Therapy—the same treatment he provides his patients.
DTS Therapy eliminated his pain.
“It’s what got me back to being able to go to the gym and do more things,” Dr. Glover says, adding many of his patients are thrilled after a few treatments to feel great and be able to play golf, go shopping, perform household chores, and do activities they enjoy again.
“This increases a patient’s quality of life to live as pain free as possible,” he says. Patients appreciate DTS Therapy as an alternative to surgery, and they feel comfortable knowing Dr. Glover understands what they’ve been experiencing.
“To sympathize is good, but being able to empathize is just as important,” he says.
DTS Therapy is a major part of Glover Chiropractic Clinic, and Dr. Glover shares with patients the pain-free treatment creates decompression by gently stretching the spine to relieve pressure from the discs, joints, and muscular tissues while the patient is in a comfortable position.
Treatments are short in duration, and most patients report improvements and reduction in pain after only a few sessions.
Those who suffer chronic low back or neck pain owe it to themselves to call Glover Chiropractic Clinic to see if they are a candidate for DTS Spinal Decompression Therapy.
DR. JEFFREY GLOVER
GLOVER CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC
312 N. 14th St., Leesburg, FL. 34748 Phone: 352-787-9995 www.GloverChiro.com
FLORIDA HOSPITAL RESPIRATORY & EQUIPMENT
Florida Hospital Respiratory & Equipment (FHRE) services all of Lake County from their new Mount Dora location, located conveniently at the tri-city connection of 441 and 19A with respiratory, durable medical equipment, and supplies. The offi ce space offers a place where customers can walk-in and make appointments for many services. FHRE’s main offi ce in Longwood services all of Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties and beyond.
The staff is dedicated to providing the best customer service experience for all of our Community. Our respiratory services such as CPAP/BIPAP for the sleep apnea patient, Heated High Flow Units, High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (Affl o Vest) and Non-Invasive Ventilators are setup by our highly qualifi ed Respiratory Therapists. Highly trained equipment technicians provide the delivery, setup and instruction for our many other products, such as oxygen therapy, hospital beds, mobility and ambulatory aids, bathroom products, and much more.
Rose Schiebold, Branch Manager and the MT Dora FHRE team has decades of experience in the DME Industry. We understand what the patients and families go through and we take pride in creating a comfortable setting for the patient and families when entering their homes or when they visit our facility. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff allow the patient to feel comfortable and alleviate any anxiety they may be feeling. We assess the patient’s needs and provide the best suitable medical products and devices available. FHRE works closely with all the surrounding hospitals and healthcare providers to obtain the necessary documentation to qualify the services to be paid under insurance. We accept Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurances.
FHRE is part of the Florida Hospital Connected Care Team, which allows us to assist patients and families with all the services offered within the Florida Hospital Network. FHRE is grateful to have the opportunity to serve you.
4855 N. U.S. Highway 19-A Mount Dora, FL 32757 352-253-2326 556 Florida Central Parkway Longwood, FL 32750 407.830.1938
practice
(L–R) MAMIE ROGERS, MD, FACOG; JOEL HALLAM, DO; MARILYN MAYNE, DO, FACOOG
LAKE WELLNESS FOR WOMEN OB/GYN
Women know it’s important to take an active role in their personal health care, especially issues specifi cally related to obstetrics and gynecology. The physicians at Lake Wellness for Women OB/GYN are dedicated to providing the best care by forming a partnership with each patient that ensures their needs are met in a caring and timely manner.
“We want our offi ce to be the premier OB/GYN location where patients can get the treatment they need and the care they deserve,” Dr. Hallam said.
Lake Wellness for Women OB/GYN includes 3 physicians: Marilyn Mayne, D.O., FACOOG, Mamie Rogers, M.D., FACOG, and M. Joel Hallam, D.O. By keeping current with the latest developments in obstetrics and gynecology, these experienced physicians deliver new therapies and diagnostics to ensure that area women receive the care they need. Developing trusting relationships with patients is a vital part of patient care for these doctors, and they truly understand the signifi cance of this.
“We take time to get to know our patients and families so we may gain an understanding of your lifestyle, family history, and other critical factors important in providing quality health care and meeting our patients’ needs,” Dr. Hallam said.
Your health begins with YOU, this is why it is very important to take the necessary steps to ensure you practice a healthy lifestyle. One way the doctors help you achieve this goal is by providing resources and information in the fi eld of women’s health, so you can stay up to date on the latest medical breakthroughs and know about local events related to women’s health issues.
LAKE WELLNESS FOR WOMEN OB/GYN 3340 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.589.6005 LWWObGyn.com
practice
(L–R) JASON GERBOC, DO; REGINA GUZZI, PA-C; MICHAEL FOUNTAIN, DO, FACOS
UROLOGY SPECIALISTS OF LAKE COUNTY
Dr. Jason Gerboc, Dr. Michael W. Fountain, Regina Guzzi, P.A., and the staff of Urology Specialists of Lake County seek to provide the highest quality of care for their patients. With a combination of specialized training and evidence-based treatment, they ensure patients not only get better, but also are completely satisfi ed with the level of care received.
Many urological problems often go untreated because people fi nd them embarrassing or diffi cult to discuss with a doctor. Dr. Gerboc and Dr. Fountain understand the need for compassionate dialogue where health issues are concerned. The practice focuses on treating problems such as enlarged prostate, urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction. There is no need to have discomfort or pain when the treatment is often available on site, using stateof-the-art technology and equipment.
“We want to be sure patients get treatment in a timely manner. We have immediate availability, sometimes same-day offi ce appointments. Certainly we can see patients within a quick turnover,” Dr. Gerboc said. “We have a great offi ce, clean environment, friendly staff, convenient location, state-of-the-art equipment. Our staff is caring and concerned, always eager to meet our patients’ expectation.”
Urology is a constantly changing specialty, but the staff of Urology Specialists of Lake County are always prepared to provide compassionate care combined with cutting-edge treatment.
UROLOGY SPECIALISTS OF LAKE COUNTY 1210 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.343.2364 LakeCountyUrology.com
practice
BEACON ADVANCED EYECARE CENTER
Everyone regards eyesight as a precious gift. Dr. Albert R. Ducharme, Dr. James K Berry, John Naumann, and the staff at Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center dedicate themselves to providing patients the best possible eye care as refl ected in their mission statement: Focusing on You with Quality Care.
Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center, started in 1986, is a full-service vision care provider for scheduled appointments and emergency eye care too. For more than 25 years, they’ve consistently received excellent ratings from the Better Business Bureau.
Shannon Leafers, offi ce manager, has been with the practice 10 years. “I am proud to be a member of this practice because I know patients who come to see Dr. Berry or Dr. Ducharme get the best care. And if they need or want new glasses, there’s no one better in the business than our master optician, John Naumann.”
Patients benefi t from Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center for many reasons: • Two locations—Leesburg and Lady Lake • Leesburg opens Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Patients can see either Dr. Ducharme or Dr. Berry • Complete eye exams for glasses or contact lenses • Testing for glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration • Pre- and post-operative care
Both doctors promote a warm, trusting, and professional relationship with patients and think of patients as extended family.
Dr. Albert R. Ducharme says his main goal for patients is, “The most thorough eye exam possible in a friendly and courteous atmosphere, and provide the best vision attainable.”
When asked what gives him the most pleasure in serving his patients, John says, “I love it when patients smile and say they can see well again.”
BEACON ADVANCED EYECARE CENTER
Leesburg - 352.728.8318 Lady Lake - 352.740.2414 beaconadvancedeyecare.com
YIN “TAMMY” LUK, MD, FACS
GENERAL SURGEON
Aboard-certifi ed surgeon with Central Florida Health, Yin “Tammy” Luk, MD, performs hernia repairs and does surgeries on the gallbladder, breast, stomach, bowel, and wounds at Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages® Regional Hospital. She praises the “team approach” in treating patients. “From the nursing staff to the technical support/equipment, we are able to give patients the best possible outcomes,” she says. Hernia repair is the most common surgical procedure, and Dr. Luk performs several a week. She uses a laparoscopic, minimally invasive method that allows patients to experience less pain, swelling, or scarring. Patients are generally able to go home the same day as their surgery. “Many of the cases that I perform are life-saving and it is very rewarding to see the immediate and positive result,” she says.
profile
TAREK BAKDASH, MD
NEUROLOGIST
Our strategy is to acknowledge the patients and listen to their needs and concerns; a crucial approach to defi ning an accurate diagnosis and planning its management,” says Tarek Bakdash, MD, a board-certifi ed neurologist with Central Florida Health. To provide optimal care for his patients, Dr. Bakdash practices the entire fi eld of neurology and its disorders of the brain, spinal cord and neuromuscular systems. In addition to being certifi ed in neurology, he is also certifi ed in performing neurodiagnostic studies (EEG, and EMG studies) and treatment of muscles and nerves. Extensive dialogue with patients and their families is imperative to reaching an accurate diagnosis and management. Dr. Bakdash wants his patients to know he is here to help. “I take my time and provide compassionate care because I am dealing with the huge responsibility of another human life.”
352.751.8790
MICHAEL BRANCH, MD
OTOLARYNGOLOGIST
352.751.8960
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HARRY C. WEISER, MD, FAANS, FACS
NEUROSURGEON
Harry C. Weiser, MD, diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery, is a board-certifi ed neurosurgeon with Central Florida Health, where he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cranial and spinal disorders, pain management and procedures, and cranial/spinal surgery. Dr. Weiser also has advanced training in stereotactic navigation of both the spine and brain. Comparable to the way a GPS works in a vehicle, stereotactic technology provides 3-D navigation by mapping the location of an abnormality and sending information to the MRI system in real time, giving Dr. Weiser a clear image of the precise position that needs treatment. Stereotactic surgery is touted as ideal for patients with tumors deep in the brain, and the minimally invasive procedure often means a quicker recovery time.
352.751.8830 Michael Branch, MD, a board-certifi ed otolaryngologist, specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of the ear, nose and throat. He has advanced experience in endoscopic sinus surgery, rhinology, hearing loss and chronic ear surgery. He practices at The Villages® Regional Hospital. Dr. Branch earned his MD at Wake Forest University, Bowman Gray School of Medicine; and then completed a six year residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He served as an active duty Otolaryngologist with the United States Navy for three years. He then practiced in the Orlando area for 20 years and joined Central Florida Health in January 2016. He has participated in over 20 medical missions to Pucallpa, Peru performing ear, nose and sinus surgeries for the poor of that community. He is a fellow of the American Board of Otolaryngology.
CELIA NELSON, MD, FACS
GENERAL SURGEON
Celia Nelson, MD, a board-certifi ed general surgeon with Central Florida Health, performs many breast cancer surgeries, along with surgical procedures for patients with hernias, gallbladders, appendix, and abdominal issues. Dr. Nelson wants patients to know she’s a person who lives by faith in God and that she is committed to their care. “The reward is seeing people get well, recover, and overcome an illness,” she says. The Jamaican native chose to become a surgeon while in medical school at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She has been in practice here since 1992. Some patients tell her they appreciate that she’s a female surgeon. “The most important thing is that you have somebody that you can communicate and feel comfortable with, whether it’s male or female,” she says.
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SAMUEL BUNDZ, MD, FACS
GENERAL SURGEON
Samuel Bundz, MD, a board-certifi ed general surgeon with Central Florida Health, provides endovenous laser treatments—the most advanced technique for addressing spider and varicose veins. This highly specialized treatment works to maintain proper leg health by sealing faulty veins and rerouting the blood fl ow through healthier veins. Hundreds of his patients have been treated by this minimally invasive procedure on an out-patient basis. “I’ve performed the procedure on my patients in the afternoon, and the next morning they’re back to work,” says Dr. Bundz, who notes those who receive the laser treatments generally do not experience discomfort, pain, or scarring—common occurrences with the traditional method of vein stripping. In addition to endoveous laser treatments, Dr. Bundz also performs surgical procedures for patients with breast cancer, hernias, gallbladders, and colon cancer.
352.787.9111
DAN NICOLAS TRAN, MD, FACS
GENERAL SURGEON
A physician who loves his work and focuses on patients’ needs.
Board certifi ed in general surgery, Dr. Dan Nicolas Tran has been practicing in Lake County for over a decade, and he’s the only general surgeon with fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery at Florida Hospital Waterman.
Some of his research has been published in major medical journals.
He specializes in hernia repair, bowel resection, gallbladder removal, anti-refl ux surgery, and surgical procedures to address skin, breast and colorectal cancers.
Hernia repair is a major part of his practice.
Some patients are able to return to work the day after surgery.
Dr. Tran received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed a General Surgery residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky, followed by a fellowship program at the school’s Center for Advanced Surgical Technology.
Dr. Tran says his staff members are dedicated to serving patients.
“We strive to be the gold standard for patient care, comfort, and practicing quality outcomes,” he says.
Dr. Tran says patients appreciate it.
LAKE SURGICAL ASSOCIATES
1290 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.742.0054
HASEEB BEN KAZIM, MD
In the late 90s a new trend emerged in hospital care. Normally a patients’ primary care physician would monitor their care and treatment during a hospital stay. However, a hospitalist now handles that care—a doctor who specializes in treating those who are in the hospital.
Lake County Hospitalist Care is a group of highly trained, board-certifi ed physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners who oversee and coordinate the medical care of Florida Hospital Waterman patients. They are, essentially, the experts in taking care of those who are hospitalized. Haseeb Ben Kazim, MD, is medical director of the group and has 14 years of experience in internal medicine.
The family and the patient are included in all discussions, and time is taken to outline tests, procedures, medications, or surgery that is needed. This doctor becomes the patient’s physician of record during the hospital stay and is consulted for information and answering questions.
“Our group of highly trained physicians are happy to serve the Waterman community,” Dr. Kazim adds. These doctors know being in the hospital is a stressful time, and they are intent on easing that stress and assuring the family that everything needed is being done. “We want our patients to feel comfort able and informed during their hospital stay.”
Dr. Kazim and his associates know that a patient’s view of their hospital care comes from their relationship with the doctor. This care includes overseeing and coordinating all the medical care, working directly with surgeons or other specialists involved in patient care, and easing the transition from inpatient to outpatient.
Following the patient’s release from the hospital, this connection returns to the primary care physician. Lake County Hospitalist Care sees more patients admitted to the hospital than any other group so they are leaders in this fi eld.
LAKE COUNTY HOSPITALIST CARE 1737 David Walker Drive Tavares, FL 32778 352.742.3578
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VEIN CENTER
Tom Tran, PA-C and Michael Richards, PA-C have more than 20 combined years of experience in the fi eld of Phlebology, the treatment of vein disease. They are the founding members of Comprehensive Vein Center treating patients in the Villages and Ocala for over 9 years. They feature highly specialized treatment for varicose veins. They perform the latest minimally invasive procedures that replaced surgeries for varicose veins— EndoVenous Laser Treatment and Radiofrequency ablations as well as ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy and cosmetic vein treatments. The treatment includes a detailed ultrasound evaluation by a certifi ed vascular sonographer. These procedures require no hospitalization and only local anesthesia. “We close off the vein, with Laser or RF heat and the body absorbs the vein with no scaring or surgical wounds. Everything is done here in our offi ces, so there’s no need to worry about doing tests elsewhere,” Michael says. “We are dedicated vein specialists.” The staff understands you want your legs to feel and look good. They have now joined with Solanki Cardiology and Associates to offer comprehensive care and are currently accepting new patients.
VEIN CENTERS AT THE VILLAGES AND OCALA
• 1050 Old Camp Road, Suite 202, The Villages • 3515 SE 17th St #100, Ocala
352.259.5960 (Vein Center)
CARDIOLOGY
Having a cardiologist in the Vein Center adds an extra measure of high quality care for the patients. Kalpesh, Solanki, DO, FACC, originally from Sarasota, is not only has a general cardiovascular specialty, he works with heart failure and hypertension management, peripheral catheterization for peripheral artery disease, and device implantation—pacemaker, defi brillator (AICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy (bi-ventricular). He also does catheterization as well as noninvasive cardiology—nuclear stress testing, peripheral vascular studies, and echocardiography. Dr. Solanki is board certifi ed in general cardiology and internal medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Dr Solanki has offi ces in The Villages and Ocala and is accepting new patients and most major health insurance plans. It’s interesting to note before he went into medicine, Dr. Solanki received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.
SOLANKI CARDIOLOGY AND ASSOCIATES
• 3515 SE 17th St, Suite 100, Ocala • 1050 Old Camp Road, Suite 202, The Villages 352.245.7788 (Cardiology main number)
BRIDGING THE GAP THE NORTH LAKE HOSPITAL TAX HELPS THOSE IN NEED STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL IN HEALTH CARE
Working for a major landscaping company and commuting to Orlando, Mike Pelcha, 52, of Leesburg, couldn’t do his job when he developed cataracts. He also was experiencing dangerously high blood pressure and other health ailments.
“It was getting to the point where I couldn’t drive,” he says.
It wasn’t long after that he was out of work and uninsured.
Annette Peterkin, 55, of Lady Lake, lost all of her health insurance benefi ts after her husband’s 25-year job with a citrus juice plant ended.
“It was devastating because I had always had insurance coverage, and I had a lot of health problems,” Annette says. “I didn’t know where I was going to turn for help.”
They’re not alone. According to local health offi cials, the pair are among 45,000 uninsured residents in Lake County.
Luckily, Mike, Annette, and countless others living in Astatula, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Howey-in-theHills, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares, and Umatilla, can get medical care as residents living in the North Lake County Hospital District (NLCHD). This organization provides more than $7 million annually to community health clinics, Florida Hospital Waterman, Leesburg Regional Medical Center, and LifeStream Behavioral Center to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured district residents.
Annette and Mike are patients of the Community Medical Care Center,
NORTH LAKE HOSPITAL DISTRICT
LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA
a free clinic founded in 1999 by Leesburg Regional Medical Center and First Baptist Church, where local doctors, retired practitioners, and specialists volunteer their time to treat an average of 600 uninsured patients a month, and provide referrals for free diagnostic tests, and chronic disease care to those with incomes under 150 percent of the federal poverty level ($17,820 or less for one person; $24,030 or less in twoperson household).
“I have a lot of medical issues going on, and I couldn’t even imagine not having a place to go,” Annette says. “They are just awesome people and I thank God for them. I am pretty sure I would not have the quality of life I have now if had not been for the center and help from the North Lake County Hospital District.”
Mike feels the same way. He shudders to think what would have happened if he had not received care from the clinic. “I probably would have died from a heart attack,” Mike says. “Without them, I don’t know where I would be now.”
Community Medical Care Center’s director, Tammy Halsey, says the clinic receives about 80 percent of its funding from the NLCHD with the rest coming from small grants and donations from foundations and individuals. The center received $473,461 from the NLCHD last year.
“The funding that we receive from the tax district is extremely vital to the daily operations and the survival of the clinic,” Tammy says. “We are taking care of folks who are in the gap. They don’t have any opportunities for the Affordable Care Act because they don’t qualify for that, and they can’t receive Medicaid or Medicare, so they are out there with nothing. If they didn’t have us, they would be using the ER for their medical home.”
Created by the Florida Legislature, all NLCHD funds are generated from businesses and homeowners residing within the district, via an assessment on their property tax statements—a 1 mill surcharge—or $1 per $1,000 of property value.
“For the average homeowner in north Lake County, the district collects around $120 annually in property
taxes—typically less than $10 a month, or the cost of a large pizza. It’s a small amount that goes a long way to helping our neighbors in need,” says Steven Jenkins, administrative director of strategy and integrated marketing, at Florida Hospital Waterman.
“The clinics serve as a medical home, helping patients manage chronic diseases, have access to preventative healthcare services, and even get assistance with prescriptions,” he says. “Without the community clinics, most patients would be forced to seek care through our hospitals’ emergency departments at a much higher cost to the entire community.”
Florida Hospital Waterman’s free clinic, Community Primary Health Clinic, provides medical care for uninsured residents living below 150 percent poverty level. It received $275,610 from the NLCHD in 2015.
Mark Dickinson, executive vice president and chief fi nancial offi cer of 13 Florida clinics, including Leesburg Family Health Clinic and Tavares Community Health Center, says the two facilities combined serve about 8,000 clients, those under 200 percent poverty level ($23,760 or less for one person; $32,040 or less for two-person household) pay for their care on a sliding-fee scale.
“I’m just grateful that we get some support from the hospital district,” he says. “It goes a long way and it helps us a lot; it allows us to see additional patients with no insurance.” The NLCHD provided $190,102 in funds for these clinics last year.
St. Luke Free Medical and Dental Clinic in Eustis treats the uninsured who are at 200 percent poverty level, and it received $78,426 last year from the NLCHD; LifeStream Behavioral Center, which provides care for the uninsured at 150 percent poverty level through the WIN Clinic of LifeStream, was reimbursed $739,272 from the district in 2015.
Leesburg Regional Medical Center received $3.4 million from the North Lake County Hospital District last year, even though the hospital provided the community with nearly $16 million in charity care, and Florida Hospital Waterman was given $3.3 million by the NLCHD to offset more than $11 million it provided the poor and uninsured in charity care.
“Everything that we can do to offset that huge charity burden at the hospital level helps, because people can’t get better without hospital care,” says Don Henderson, president and chief executive offi cer of Central Florida Health, which oversees Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
By providing funds to the clinics and hospitals to care for those without health insurance, he says it’s not only an effi cient alternative over emergency room visits, but it also lowers the overall healthcare costs for the entire community.
Voters will be able to vote for the continuation of the North Lake County Hospital District during the Nov. 8 general election, when the assessment comes up for a 10-year renewal.
The language on the ballot will read: “Shall the independent special district known as the North Lake County Hospital District with authority to levy each year an ad valorem tax not to exceed 1 mill to fund indigent care to qualifi ed residents of the district be continued for another 10 years?”
Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s top chief believes voters will show their support in renewing the assessment. “People in Lake County are extremely generous and they have been very supportive of our hospital,” he says. “I would humbly ask the community to continue their support for the hospital; it’s been there, and it has always there in their time of need. We don’t deny central care to anybody, regardless of their ability to pay, and that is certainly not the case in other communities.”
Since hospitals in Ocala have become for-profi t facilities, he has observed patients being denied care, and those with elected procedures turned away in Marion County.
Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s CEO says there’s a big difference in the level of care patients receive here, thanks to the North Lake County Hospital District being locally governed and operating on the philosophy of not denying care when care is needed.
“And it’s why this tax district is so important,” he says.
FREE CLINICS
in North Lake County Hospital District ____________________________ COMMUNITY MEDICAL CARE CENTER 1210 W. Main St., Leesburg, FL 34748 352.589.2501
FLORIDA HOSPITAL WATERMAN COMMUNITY PRIMARY CARE CENTER 2300 Kurt St., Eustis FL 32726 352.589.2501
ST. LUKE FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINIC 722 S. Grove St., Eustis, FL 32726 352.602.4620
CLINICS WITH SLIDING FEES
in North Lake County Hospital District ____________________________ WIN CLINIC OF LIFESTREAM 215 N. 3rd St., Leesburg, FL 34748 352.315.7946
LEESBURG FAMILY HEALTH CENTER 225 N. 1st St., Leesburg, FL. 34748 352.435.6699
TAVARES COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 212 E. Main St., Tavares, FL. 32778 352.314.7410
THE FIFTH IN OUR SERIES FOCUSING ON ISSUES FACING LOCAL VETERANS
A WIDOW ASKS WHY?
STORY: PAT JOCELYN
My husband died June 16, 2014,” Pam Hunt says in a voice that refl ects both pain and weariness. “We’re never going to know [what happened], which I think is part of the added frustration with losing somebody to suicide.”
According to Pam, the evening of her husband’s suicide was like any other. “When my husband went to bed he was talking about the doctor’s appointment he had the next morning,” Pam says. “He was telling me not to eat some food that was in the fridge because he wanted it for breakfast.”
Within the hour, Tim was dead.
“The bedroom door was closed, but he was sleeping, had the dogs in bed, and the television on. I was watching a movie and fell asleep on the couch not 20 feet away. I woke up to the gun shot. So at some point, he woke up, sat up on the edge of the bed and shot himself.”
The 48-year-old Minnesota transplant says she’s had two years to theorize why Tim committed suicide, and it goes back to the kind of man he was before being wounded while serving his country.
“He was the defi nition of physically fi t. He was this massive, huge, overwhelmingly physical embodiment of a man,” Pam says with
quiet pride. “Then he broke his back, had knee injuries, and developed heart failure.”
At the time of his injuries, Tim was a noncommissioned offi cer (NCO) in the National Guard and a leader of men. At the top of his game physically, he was regarded as a man’s man. At the time of his death, however, Tim couldn’t help his wife carry in groceries.
His physical limitations coupled with a lack of military support, may have contributed to Tim’s mental health issues. Pam speculates other important issues
SINCE 2001, MORE UNITED STATES TROOPS HAVE DIED FROM SUICIDE THAN WERE KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN.
—PBS
also led to his suicide.
“My husband served for 25 years, and we always felt a part of the community,” the Deltona resident says. “It wasn’t until the day he was injured that we both felt alone.
Pam says soldiers are practically shunned after being injured. There’s a tendency to avoid them or not look them directly in the eyes.
“The more serious the injury, the more other soldiers
want to disassociate with them. They feel that could be them,” she says.
To add insult to injury, just 30 minutes after leaving the hospital following knee surgery, Tim had to sign paperwork indicating he was no longer in the U.S. Army. “It said Tim acknowledged and understood he was no longer deployable, therefore he was no longer a soldier,” Pam explains. “They refused to let him have convalescent leave unless he signed it.”
During the 13-hour trip from Fort Knox to Minneapolis, Tim talked about his frustration and anger at being “forced to pull his own pin and end his military career.” Pam says there was no other choice.
Although the Army said Tim was no longer deployable, it was up to Tim and Pam to convince the Veterans Administration (VA) that he retired for medical reasons. “Tim’s operation was in 2007 and we spent the next fi ve years embroiled in the medical board process,” Pam says. “Tim’s offi cial military retirement certifi cate reads February 13, 2013.”
Sustaining critical injuries, losing your hard-earned career, losing your sense of community are signifi cant issues to face while recovering from serious injury. Along
with constant pain, the danger of continuously taking addictive prescription drugs, and a loss of self-worth, it creates the perfect storm.
Welcome to Tim Hunt’s world at that time.
Pam is convinced her husband’s medications also contributed to his decision.
“We had an appointment
the next morning to review his meds because he knew they were dangerous,” Pam says. “My personal feeling is there was something on the television or something he was dreaming that triggered some sort of attack. I don’t think he was fully awake when he shot himself.”
Pam believes many veteran suicides could be prevented by providing earlier and better intervention. “Service members are literally having their careers ended in front of them with no say, no participation. And on top of it, they have to deal with their injuries.”
That is followed by the chaos and confusion of the VA system and fi ghting for what should be automatic. Pam said these veterans struggle to get mental health services, and the care they receive is poor at best.
After Tim’s death, Pam’s personal mission became reducing the number of veteran suicides—22 every day—a number she thinks is conservative. She became a volunteer working with veterans’ issues including A Veterans Community, which provides safe and stable housing for vets.
One of her passions is the Spartan Pledge. Forged from scraps of metal that came from the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy, The Spartan Sword was hammered into shape by a veteran. As veterans touch its surface, they say, “I will not take my own life by my own hand until I talk to my battle buddy fi rst. My mission is to fi nd a mission to help my warfi ghter family.”
Villagers for Veterans a local nonprofi t organization is sponsoring a Spartan Weekend May 19-21, 2017, when the sword will be in this area. They invite local veterans to take part in the Spartan Pledge. Those who can’t get to the sword will place a hand on the shoulder of a veteran touching it. Pam will be a featured speaker during the event.
“I think people who have served have a very specifi c and engrained code of honor, morality, and integrity. When they take an oath, when they swear to something,” Pam says, “especially to a fellow service member, it has more meaning behind it.”
— PAM HUNT, WIDOW OF STAFF SGT. TIMOTHY HUNT
OF THE 22 VETERAN DEATHS A DAY, ONLY ABOUT FIVE ARE PATIENTS IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM.
—STARS AND STRIPES
LF FLO OR R D ID I A A V VE E E TE T AR RANS SN AIN A A IN N D DEP P EP E H TH T-DEP -DE LOOK OK KOO O OOKLOO LO LO AT AT H THE ETH TAT A THE T AT HAL CHAL L ALCHA CHACH LEN LENG ENG GNE LE L ES ESHAL H HA NGEN THEY T THHEY H YTHE E A ACFAC FAC F EHEEY
VETS MAKE UP 7 PERCENT OF VETSMAKE UP P 7 PE ERCENT THE AMERICAN POPULATION BUT ACCOUNT FOR 20 PERCENT OF SUICIDES.
—DEPT. OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
For more information about the Spartan Pledge, visit
descendantsofsparta.com
For more information about Villagers For Veterans, visit
villagersforveterans.org
For more information about A Veterans Community, visit
aveteranscommunity.org
To contact Pam Hunt, email her at
Pam@aveteranscommunity.org
To watch a moving testimonial about Staff Sgt Timothy Hunt’s life, visit
